


before time

by 100demons



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-29
Updated: 2012-10-29
Packaged: 2017-11-17 07:04:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/548898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/100demons/pseuds/100demons
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He sits there, arms wrapped around his knees, with only Hestia to keep him anchored in this room. For ages (he thinks— he’s not sure, nothing’s ever sure but the four walls and darkness) they have been sitting like this, her arm linked with his, head pillowed on his shoulder.</p>
            </blockquote>





	before time

He sits there, arms wrapped around his knees, with only Hestia to keep him anchored in this room. For ages (he thinks— he’s not sure, nothing’s ever sure but the four walls and darkness) they have been sitting like this, her arm linked with his, head pillowed on his shoulder.  
  
In the far corner Poseidon moans and stirs a little, the tattered remnants of a blanket tucked tightly around his body. “There, there,” Demeter soothes, rubbing his back half-heartedly. “It’ll be alright, little one.”   
  
“Lies,” Hera hisses, rolling onto her stomach and propping her chin with her hands. “We’ve been here for eternity upon eternity in eternal darkness— the little runt might as well get used to it. It will never be alright,” she laughs mockingly but in the stale air it just sounds helpless and shrill.   
  
“Hera,” Demeter says slowly, stroking Poseidon’s soft black hair. “We must have faith. Mother said—”  
  
“ _Fuck_  Mother,” Hera snarls and jumps to her feet, her long dark hair a tangled mane tumbling down her back. “ _Fuck_  the prophecy. Nothing’s ever going to happen— we’re going to live here in darkness, doomed to live in our blasted Father’s stomach until time itself runs out and the world ends. We should— we should—”  
  
Above them, a great maw opens and Hades can taste fresh air, see a few painful rays of light that burn his eyes. His stomach clenches with dread as he sees a bundle falling down the great distance, growing larger and larger by the second.  
  
“O blessed heavens, not another one,” Demeter whispers. “Oh please, Mother Rhea—”  
  
It lands with a heavy thump, cracks spidering in the earth from underneath the bundled child. For a long moment, there is nothing but silence and Hades wonders if it’s dead. Still, the child of a god should have survived it….shouldn’t it?  
  
Hera is the first, long legs quickly eating the distance between her and the new child. She hesitates for a moment before reaching down and casting aside the blankets, her arm snaking viper-quick. “It’s— it’s not— this is no child!”  
  
It’s a strange sort of lump, hard and dense like the walls that imprison them.   
  
“It’s him,” Hestia says solemnly, raising her head up. “Son of Kronos, destined to overthrow Father. He lives beyond us— beyond Father’s control and one day, he will free us all.”  
  
Hades feels something stirring in his chest, a strange and uncomfortable feeling. It makes his heart beat faster, blood rushing in his ears—  
  
“Hope,” Demeter says. “Let us all hope.”

**Author's Note:**

> for mochi
> 
> [prompt: PJO - the original big three ot3 - “and you shall not deny me”]


End file.
